Newswise — ROCHESTER, Minn. — With the fall sports season underway, attention turns to concussion awareness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 3.9 million sports- and recreation-related concussions occur in the U.S. each year. And that number may be higher because many more concussions are not diagnosed correctly.

There continues to be a lot of discussion about concussions. How much do people really know about how to spot a concussion? What should be done about a concussion? And how are they treated? Many people don’t know how a concussion is caused.

A concussion is a mild form of a traumatic brain injury that alters the way your brain functions. Effects are usually temporary but can include headaches and problems with concentration, memory, balance and coordination. Concussions can happen to anyone, but children and athletes are at a particularly high risk. Although concussions usually are caused by a blow to the head, they also can occur when the head and upper body are violently shaken. These injuries can cause a loss of consciousness; however, most concussions do not. Because of this, some people have concussions and don't realize it. Concussions are common, particularly if you play a contact sport.

Hockey concussion summitMayo Clinic Sports Medicine will host its third hockey concussion summit Sept. 28–29, 2017, at Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus. Scientists, trainers, coaches, officials, retired professional players and equipment makers from the U.S. and Canada will discuss the science of concussion, the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of concussion injuries, and directions of future research. The summit focuses on ice hockey, but concussion-related topics apply to all sports.

To schedule an interview with either of these physicians at Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus or for information about the hockey concussion summit, contact Rhoda Madson, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005 or newsbureau@mayo.edu.